The Parliament celebrates half a century of political debate in Strasbourg this week as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the European Parliamentary Assembly. The European Parliament, as it became in 1962, has evolved with the European project. It began as a consultative body in 1958, direct elections in 1979 gave it a popular mandate and it now has a powerful legislative, budgetary and supervisory role.

The anniversary was celebrated on Wednesday when MEPs were joined by former Parliament Presidents, national Parliamentarians and leaders of the other European Institutions in the Chamber in Strasbourg. The whole event - which featured a concert by the European Youth Orchestra – was opened by Parliament's current President Hans-Gert Pöttering. Commission President José Manuel Barroso also spoke on this occasion.